UNITED
NATIONS, May
29 -- When Ban
Ki-moon
wrapped up his
five day
campaign trip
in South Korea
at the UN's
DPI-NGO
conference,
without irony
he cited press
freedom. This
while at the
UN in New
York, the
investigative
Press has been
oust and then
evicted, with
its long time
office being
given to
Egyptian state
media Akhbar
Elyom, which
never comes
in, much less
asks any
questions. Click
here for
background.

Ban spoke
about freedom
of movement,
while Inner
City Press is
now required
to have
minders in
order to cover
meetings on
the second
floor of the
UN Conference
building, in
the ECOSOC and
Trusteeship
Council
Chambers, and
has been told
not to ask
questions of
diplomats.

Ban
went out of
his way to
praise the
current
African trip
of South
Korean
President Park
- he did not
mention her
Iran trip -
and directly
addressed
South Korean
youth, some of
whom may be
old enough to
vote in 2017.
Opening
speeches,
particularly
by the
national
organizer(s),
were largely
about Ban
Ki-moon.

Those
present
marveled at
how actual
NGOs were
pushed to the
back of the
room, with the
front rows
devoted to
South Korean
official
(including
some from the
UN). Tweeted
photo here,reply
here. Will
Ban Ki-moon
endeavor to
live up in New
York, in his
remaining time
at the UN, to
what he said
at the DPI-NGO
conference?
Watch this
site.

Soon
to be ex-UN
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon is in his
native South
Korea, where
there is a Presidential
election in
2017. On May
19, only to
South Korean
correspondents,
Ban Ki-moon's
senior
adviser Kim
Won-soo said
and was quoted
that Ban's is
NOT a
political
trip. Clearly
it is. Ban's
"exclusive"
comments to
more than a
dozen
journalists in
South Korea,
photo here,
were not
transcribed
despite the
request of
the Free UN
Coalition for
Access.

But
there's a
problem: not
only Inner
City Press --
see article
in the
Kyunghyang
Daily News,
robo-translated
-- but
now The
Economist
calls Ban
Ki-moon the
worst and
weakest
Secretary
General ever.
What has now
been
transcribed,
in their way,
are Ban's
remarks to the
South Korean
organizing
committee for
the DPI NGO
conference,
including
"make sure
that we have
education,
global
education and
put all [the]
millions[of]
children who
are out of
school [in].
Korea's
success in
this world is
largely owing
to quality
education.
Korean
parents, [the]
Korean
government;
they have
sacrificed
everything in
their
possessions
for quality
education for
their
children."

Ban
made no
reference to
the scandal in
his UN of
South South
News, Ng Lap
Seng and the new
constellations
about which
there is also
no due
diligence.
This does not
help
development,
or the NGO
world. We'll
have more on
this.

And
as Inner City
Press has
asked basic
questions
about Ban's
use of UN
resources and
had them
dodged, now
the media in
South Korea is
taking notice.
The Hankyoreh
of May 28,
here,
reports on
Inner City
Press asking
"whether Ban
was aware of
UN Resolution
II (I), which
was adopted at
the first
General
Assembly in
1946 and
restricts
secretaries-general
from taking
government
positions soon
after their
term ends...
But Haq’s
response
appeared to be
to a
completely
different
question -
neither
communicating
Ban’s response
nor mentioning
the
resolution."
Slippery or
greasy eel.

(Hankyoreh
also says "The
unusual
spectacle of
the
Secretary-General’s
actions
becoming the
major issue in
a UN briefing
- which is
typically
reserved for
major
worldwide
issues - hints
that the
controversy
over Ban’s
political
plans could be
shaping into
an
international
diplomatic
issue." A
simple review
of recent UN
noon briefing
transcripts or
videos would
call this into
question - but
it has become
the party
line, as in
the New York
Times of May
14.)

Meanwhile
on May 28 Ban
continued his
politics,
meeting with
retired
politicians,
such as former
Prime Minister
Kim Jong-pil.
On May 29
he'll speak at
" Rotary
International
Convention in
Goyang, just
outside of
Seoul, and
visit the
ruling party
stronghold of
Gyeongsang to
tour a
UNESCO-listed
folk village
on Sunday."
Since these
are NOT on his
public UN
schedule, does
it mean they
are personal /
political?
Inner city
Press asked -
and now the
speech, such
as it is, has
been released:
a portion:

"I have
attended many
events with
Rotarians. We
have forged
warm personal
ties. I will
never forget
taking part in
the centennial
in Birmingham
in the United
Kingdom. We
arrived to see
the flags of
more than 150
countries –
and the
friendly
Rotarians in
their yellow
vests."

The
Rotary event
has, as at
least $25,000
sponsors, KEB
Hana Bank and
Shinhan Bank.
We'll have
more on this.

And
then the UN
DPI NGO
conference, on
which we'll
have more as
well. Watch
this site.

Ban can
and has
evicted Inner
City Press
from its long
time office at
the UN -- but
he can't
change the
track record,
from his
victory lap in
Sri Lanka in
2009, which
Inner City
Press reported
on, to further
damaging the
UN's
reputation in
Haiti by
insisting on
impunity for
cholera, to
his negligent
overseeing of
rapes in the
Central
African
Republic. For
the record,
what Inner
City Press
told the
Kyunghyang
Shinmun, when
asked about
the eviction
and ouster,
was not
entirely
negative. But
more on that
to
follow.

Inner
City
Press: I
want to ask
you about this
trip this
South
Korea.
First, I mean,
if you look in
today’s DPI
[Department of
Public
Information]
clips,
virtually all
the stories
are about Ban
Ki-moon
running.
There’s one in
particular
that says the
people
assisting him
with his
run. It
names a former
South Korean
ambassador
here, the
current
ambassador
here, which is
totally in
their freedom
to do
it. But
it also names
Mr. Kim
Won-soo.
This is not
something the
UN is not
aware
of. It’s
included by
DPI in the
news
clips.
So the
question
arises — has
Mr. Kim sought
some kind of
guidance from
the ethics
office what
the balance of
his time would
be, or is it
his position
that despite
public
reporting that
this is what
he’s working
on that
because you
say he’s not,
he’s not?

Deputy
Spokesman:
He’s working
as the head of
the Office of
Disarmament
Affairs.
That’s the
work that he
does. If
he needs to
change that at
some point, he
would need to
let us
know.
But right now,
this is the
work he is
doing.

Question:
Again, in the
clips that you
have, it says
that the
Under-Secretary-General
Kim, one of
Ban’s closest
confidants,
has made
frequent
reports about
domestic
situations to
Ban. Is
this
false?
And is he only
doing this
about
disarmament
issues or
about what
other?

Deputy
Spokesman:
He has a range
of
responsibilities
on disarmament
work, and that
is what he
does for the
Secretary-General.
That’s his
job.

Inner
City
Press: I
wanted to ask
you more about
the
Secretary-General's
trip.
The… the… the
press coverage
is pretty…
pretty… in
terms of
interpreting
what he said
and how he's
going about
things is
pretty… almost
unanimous in
saying that
he's trying to
send signals
that he's
going to run
for
President.
So this is a
direct quote I
want to ask
you
about.
The deputy
floor leader
of the Minjoo
party said the
latest remarks
amount to a de
facto
declaration of
a presidential
bid. And
my question in
this light is,
I know that
Mr. Kim
[Wonsoo] met
with South
Korean
journalists
before the
trip
occurred.
And,
apparently,
according to
them, he said
this is not a
political
trip.
And what I
wanted to know
is, first, in
what capacity
did he met
with
him? Did
he meet with
him as
Under-Secretary-General
for
Disarmament?
Did he meet
with him… in a
sense, some
people see it
as sort of
political
work.
And so I'm
wondering, in
the same way
that Helen
Clark has said
that she takes
leave to do
work to run
for SG, was he
on the clock
and what… in
what possible
capacity was
he
speaking?

Deputy
Spokesman:
No, he's
speaking as a
UN official
who is talking
about a visit…
an official
visit by the
Secretary-General.
The
Secretary-General
is here in his
capacity as
Secretary-General.
He is doing
things, such
as the Jeju
Forum and the
DPI
(Department of
Public
Information)
NGO
conference, in
his capacity
as
Secretary-General.
This is not a
trip in a
private
capacity, and
he's made very
clear,
including to
reporters in
the Republic
of Korea, that
he will not be
acting in a
private
capacity until
he is done
with his
duties as
Secretary-General.

Question:
He said… he
says that he's
been
approached by
other world
leaders about
running, that
they've
offered their
support.
I mean, I'm
sure you've
read… this is
in Korea
Joongang
Daily.
They quote a
number of
reporters at
this meeting
and he says
things well
beyond what
you're saying
from
here.
And so… I
mean, he can
do whatever he
wants,
whatever the
resolution
says.
But my
question…
again, I want
to go back… Is
there any
consideration…
Mr. Kim's
work, was this
done in his
capacity as
Under-Secretary-General
of disarmament
or as sort of…
he used to be
Deputy Chief
of
Staff.
Is he still
performing
that role?

Deputy
Spokesman:
No, he's
not. The
Deputy's Chief
of Staff is
Patrick
Carey.
When there are
delegations
who go on
trips,
sometimes they
speak to
reporters
about the
trip.
That's the
case with
that.
The
spokespeople
do that, as
well. In
this case, he
was talking
about the
trip, and he
was trying to
make it very
clear that
this is not a
political
trip.
And that is
something that
we echo from
here.
Good
afternoon,
everyone. Oh,
okay, one
more.

Question:
Can I ask one
more question,
just a
factual… this
is
unrelated.
It's unrelated
but just… the
other day, I
was coming in
through the
metal
detectors.
And there was
a long student
group coming
through.
It's not what
you think I'm
going.
I'm going
somewhere
else.
There was a
student that
had on a
Bernie Sanders
button and the
guard said,
"Take it
off.
There's no
political
statements
allowed in the
UN." I
wanted to
know, is that
really the
case?

Deputy
Spokesman:
Security are
told that
there're not
supposed to be
political
slogans or
political
banners
brought into
the United
Nations.
I don't,
frankly, know
how they
enforce it on
a case-by-case
basis, but the
standing rule
is that you're
not supposed
to bring in
any sort of
political
slogans or
banners in.

Question:
Right. I
guess… do you…
maybe you
don't have it
offhand.
Tell me what
the rule is so
I can look
into whether
it applies to
a button.

Deputy
Spokesman:
I do think
that depends
on the
individual
judgment of
the security
guard, whether
a button
counts or
not. I
am, of course,
wearing a
button right
now for
Peacekeepers
Day, although,
presumably,
that's a
nonpartisan
button, and
hopefully,
that passes
the
standard.
We shall see
when I exit.

Ban is
responsible
for his Under
Secretaries
General, from
Herve Ladsous
to Cristina
Gallach. In
Jeju Ban
said:

"Sri
Lanka is
overcoming
political
conflict.
[Torture
continues]]

"Myanmar is
undergoing a
peaceful
democratic
transition
[Ban's Renata
Lok-Dessalien
hides from
human rights]
One
saying I
frequently
practice
writing is上善若水which means, “The highest
virtue is to
act like
water.”
Water Now

Water
like the drip
of corrption
at the UN
under Ban
Ki-mon,
and like
his attempt to
drown the
critial Press.
We'll have
more on this.

A
senior Ban
administration
official more
loyal (as they
should be) to
the UN than
Ban tells
Inner City
Press it seems
clear Ban is
considering a
run in South
Korea and that
what is is
doing and not
doing at and
through the UN
these days is
"all about
that."

Ban
wants to be
sure not to be
connected to
the major and
expanding UN
bribery
scandal that
as occurred on
his watch.
Indictments,
guilty pleas,
inconvenient
pictures of
Ban with
Francis
Lorenzo, John
Ashe and even
Ng Lap
Seng. It
now appears
that for Ban
to run would
violate the
General
Assembly's
Resolution of
January 24,
1946, on the
Terms of
Appointment of
the
Secretary-General
of the United
Nations, 4(b).

Inner
City Press:
this has come
up during the
Secretary-General's
trip in South
Korea.
People are
citing a GA
(General
Assembly)
resolution
that was
passed in
January 1946,
which says,
quote,
“because the
Secretary-General
is a
confidante of
many
governments,
it is
desirable that
no member
should offer
him at any
rate
immediately
upon
retirement any
governmental
position”.
And so they're
saying that
this is…
essentially,
it's a GA
resolution and
that comments
now made in
Jeju, but the
idea of Ban
Ki-moon
running for
President of
Korea in 2017
would be
contrary to a
GA
resolution.
I'm sure he's
aware of this,
the mayor of
Seoul, a
former human
rights lawyer,
has raised
it.
Others have
raised
it. What
is his
response to
how this GA
resolution
applies to his
situation?

Deputy
Spokesman:
Well, the
Secretary-General's
response to
this entire
topic is one
that he made
clear even
today, where
he said that
right now he's
not
considering
the idea of
what he does
next after he
ceases to be
Secretary-General.
Right now he
is going to
focus on his
work as
Secretary-General.
It's at the
start of next
year that
he'll actually
have the time
and the
ability to
think about
other things.

Inner City
Press:
I'm sure
you've seen
all the
headlines.
All the
headlines say
that his
statement
that… that
beginning 1
January, he
will be back
as a South
Korean… is
taken… I mean,
and I
understand you
can say he's
taken, but it
doesn't seem
unfair to say
this is a GA
resolution.
Does he
acknowledge
that this is
the
resolution?
And, two, it
seems to say
immediately…
especially
immediately
upon
retirement,
this should
not be
done. So
is he saying…
what's his
response?

Deputy
Spokesman:
I don't really
think that
there's any
point in
trying to read
into his words
more than what
he's
said.
Right now the
idea is he's
not
considering
any sort of
post-UN
activity.
You know, he
won't take up
that issue
until the
following
year. .

"Because
a
Secretary-General
is a confidant
of many
governments,
it is
desirable that
no Member
should offer
him, at any
rate
immediately on
retirement,
any
governmental
position in
which his
confidential
information
might be a
source of
embarrassment
to other
Members, and
on his part a
Secretary-General
should refrain
from accepting
any such
position."

Inner
City Press on
May 24 asked
about a / the
new sponsor of
the DPI NGO
conference
without Ban's
Deputy
Spokesman
proffering an
answer. Also
on May 24,
Inner City
Press asked
the Deputy
Spokesperson,
Farhan Haq,
about the trip
and
transparency,
video
here, UN transcript
here:

Inner
City Press:
There's a
report today
in the Korea
Herald, again,
speculating…
you know, and
that's
speculation,
whether he may
run for
President.
But I wanted
to ask you
this.
They said
that… that…
that, upon his
arrival on
Wednesday, Mr.
Ban will meet
with members
of an
association of
senior
journalists
and was likely
to field
questions on
his political
ambitions.
I wanted to
know, does
your office
intend to put
out a
transcript of
that type of
meeting?
And I'm asking
because the
same article
says that,
quote, “Ban
had told
Korean
correspondents
in New York
that he would
appreciate if
they, quote,
‘help him
bring to a
successful
conclusion his
service as UN
Secretary-General’”.
And I never
saw that
quote.
Was that… did
he actually
say that, or
was that Mr.
Kim? Was
there some…
how does it
work…?

Deputy
Spokesman:
Well, first of
all, sometimes
the
Secretary-General
conducts
interviews.
As you know,
sometimes,
they might
even be with
small group
interviews.
Those aren't
the same as
press
conferences.
We will
provide
transcripts of
all press
conferences
and press
encounters,
but
interviews, of
course, are
exclusives for
the
journalists
involved, and
so we don't
have a
transcript put
out for those.

Inner City
Press:
So this thing
coming up
Wednesday upon
his arrival in
Jeju, is that
a press
conference, or
what is it?

Deputy
Spokesman:
I believe
that's a group
interview, but
like I said,
if there's
press
encounters,
we'll put
those
transcripts
out.

A
number of
people in the
UN directly
connect Ban's
ouster and
eviction of
Inner City
Press, which
has asked
about nepotism
(see, the son
in law running
UNFPA Kenya,
and the nephew
who worked for
the company
managing
UNDP's
building, and
promising
more) to a
desire to
prevent or
discourage
coverage of
and inquiry
into Ban's
role in the Ng
Lap Seng
scandal.

Ban and
his team try
to deflect
this by
saying, as Kim
Won-soo has,
that it is all
Cristina
Gallach, you
have to talk
to Cristina -
how? On May
23, Inner City
Press asked
Ban's
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric,
who's said to
be preparing
to accompany
and spin Ban's
six (or four)
day trip to
South Korea

Inner
City Press: I
know that Mr.
Kim [Won-soo]
did a briefing
for South
Korean media,
I guess, last
week trying to
say that the
upcoming trip
has... you
know, is in no
way indicative
of a desire to
run for
President by
the
Secretary-General,
but there have
been other
stories
including
one... I don't
know if it's
today or
yesterday...
in the Korea
Times saying
that several
of the
Secretary-General's
former
associates
still in the
Ministry of
Foreign
Affairs intend
to create a
foundation in
his name
saying that
Mr. Yoon
Yeocheol is
now the
protocol
officer of the
President and
very much
saying it's a
six-day trip
that it's hard
to conclude
that it isn't
in some way
related to the
upcoming
campaign.
Is... what's
your... first
of all, is Mr.
Hyun now the
protocol
officer of
President Park
[Geun-Hye]?

Spokesman:
This may come
as a shock to
you, but I
speak for the
Secretary-General
and for the
United
Nations.
I have no... I
have a tough
enough time
keeping tabs
on what people
do in this
organization
that I don't
know what
people do for
the Foreign
Ministry.

Inner City
Press:
Okay [Yoon].

Spokesman: I
think your
question
assumes a lot
of
things.
The
Secretary-General
has made it
clear that his
focus remains
and will
remain on his
job as
Secretary-General.

Inner City
Press:
It seems fair
to ask, is
there... is he
aware or are
you on his
behalf aware
of attempts to
set up a
foundation in
his name?

Spokesman:
I'm not aware.

Inner City
Press:
Then why is it
six days?

Spokesman:
Why is it six
days?

Inner City
Press:
Yeah.

Spokesman:
He's not going
there... he's
going there
for one day in
Jeju Island,
and then he's
going to the
G7. He
has one
personal day
as he's
allowed to
take to see
his family,
because he
does have
family
there.
And then the
next days are
spent speaking
at the DPI/NGO
conference.

Question:
[Inaudible:
Rotary]

Spokesman:
And the Rotary
International
as well.

Others
have noted
that while Ban
quickly moved
to apologize
when a
(Korean)
reporter
was jostled at
the South
Korean
mission, he
has had
nothing to say
about
Gallach's oust
and eviction
orders, the
physical
ouster of
Inner City
Press from the
UN, audio
here, and
dumping of
five boxes of
its files on
First Avenue.
Others note
that Ban has
had the South
Korean mission
write speeches
he has
delivered as
"UN" Secretary
General. More
on this to
follow.

Now it
has been, and
even as groups
like the
Government
Accountability
Project tell
Ban to reverse
the eviction
and give Inner
City Press
back its long
time office
and Resident
Correspondent
pass, Ban's UN
tellingly move
to award Inner
City Press'
office to
Egypt state
media
Al-Akhbar /
Akhbar
Elyoum.
Tweeted
photograph
here.

On May
19, a sign for
"Al Akhbar
Yom" went up
on Inner City
Press' office
- Inner City
Press has
STILL never
seen the
correspondent
being given
the stolen
office. The UN
says Resident
Correspondents
must be at the
UN three days
a week, but
Inner City
Press has
never seen
this person,
former UN
Correspondents
Association
president
Sanaa Youssef,
much less
asking a
question in
the UN noon
briefing.

Scribes
speaking off
the record
according to
the New York
Times of May
14 "accused
[ICP] of
printing
gossip,
rumors." That
UNCA's
president
rented an
apartment to
Palitha Kohona
then granted
his request to
screenin the
UN his
government's
war crimes
denial film is
no rumor or
gossip.

But
Akhbar Elyom,
to which
Gallach's and
Ban's MALU and
UNCA have
given Inner
City Press'
office, not
only gets
journalists in
Egypt attested
- it targets,
with a "Muslim
Brotherhood"
smear, a
journalist who
works right in
the UN. Arabic
article here.

This is
the journalism
that Ban
Ki-moon and
his Cristina
Gallach want
and reward. By
taking away
Inner City
Press' office,
it is now
required to
have a minder
and is told to
not ask
diplomats
questions.
This is
censorship.

Akhbar
Elyom has been
used to finger
for
imprisonment
non-state
journalists in
Egypt. For
example, in
July 2015
Aboubakr
Khallaf, the
founder and
head of the
independent
Electronic
Media
Syndicate
(EMS), “was
arrested after
a news article
was published
by the
government-owned
daily Akhbar
Elyoum.” (Article
in Arabic
here.)

According
to CPJ,
Khallaf's EMS
“trains and
supports
journalists
who work
online in
Egypt. The
syndicate
operates
independently
from the
state-recognized
Egyptian
Journalists
Syndicate... The
local press
freedom groupJournalists
Against
Tortureand the
localAssociation
for Freedom of
Thought and
Expression(AFTE)
said Khallaf
was also
accused of 'taking
pictures and
displaying
artistic works
without a
license,'
among other
allegations. A
1998executive
orderstates
that
individuals
conducting
audio and
audiovisual
work must have
a license from
the Ministry
of Culture.
According to
AFTE, the
accusation is
in connection
with Khallaf
photographing
the funeral of
Hisham
Barakat,
Egypt's
prosecutor
general who
was
assassinated
late last
month."

There
are many
echoes of this
in Ban's UN: as
simply one
example Ban's
Under
Secretary
General for
Public
Information
Cristina
Gallach
telling Inner
City Press it
takes
photographs of
things
that "are not
newsworthy."
There are
more, and more
examples of
Akbar Elyom.

Only
when it
questioned
Ban's and its
PR official
Cristina Gallach's
roles in
the John Ashe,
Ng Lap Seng
and Francis
Lorenzo UN
bribery
scandal did
Gallach order
Inner City
Press ousted
then evicted,
and now try to
give its
office to an
Egyptian media
which rarely
or never asked
questions. Ban
Ki-moon claimed
“That is not
my decision,”
but that is
not true.

The New York
Times on May
14covered
the story. But
they did
not in their
long process
report, because it
happened at
the end, that
Ban Ki-moon
and Gallach are
moving to give
Inner City
Press' long
time office to
Egyptian state
media, Al
Akhbar /
Akhbar El-Yom
/ Akher Saa,
to a
correspondent
Sanaa Youssef
who most even
on the UN
press floor
have never
seen.

Her
"in" seems to
be that she
was a previous
president of
the UN
Correspondents
Association,
now become the
UN's
Censorship
Alliance. As
one respected
usual UN
interlocutor
put it, "it
would be a
hugely
negative
symbolic step
for Egyptian
state media to
replace Inner
City Press in
the UN."

A
longtime UN
correspondent
who spotted
her moving in
on Inner City
Press' office
noted she had
not been seen
before; the
name was
confirmed by
UN Media
Accreditation
and Liaison
Unit, which
refused to
provide the
waiting list
or describe
the rationale.

But
this is Ban's
and Gallach's
UN (click
here for a
Spanish take
on Gallach's
tenure.)
We are
beginning to
report this
now because it
has proven
nearly
impossible to
reach Al
Akhbar /
Akhbar Al Yom
- the
telephone
numbers listed
online are
disconnected,
or private
homes; the
correspondent
at UNCA
address has
been
unresponsive.
The
absurdity of
this has been
directly
raised to Ban
Ki-moon, his
Deputy and
Chief of Staff
with enough
time to stop
it. We'll see.

For now
from
the NYT we
note this
quote: “It’s
not exactly
the same
access,’’ Mr.
Dujarric said,
“but if he has
an issue,
there is a
staff of media
liaisons to
help him
resolve the
problem and
get where he
needs to go.”

This is false.
As Inner City
Press has
raised to Ban
Ki-moon, "even
when
begrudgingly
accompanied by
a staff member
of your
Spokesperson's
office, UN
Security
refused to
allow me
through the
turnstile onto
the second
floor of
Conference
Building. I
have been told
not to ask
questions of
diplomats,
just after you
came out of
ECOSOC and
even with a
MALU minder /
escort with
me, a UN
Security
official stood
directly in
front of me,
apparently so
I couldn't
even try to
ask you a
question. This
is
censorship."
We await
response.

Audio
hereBan,
when asked,
said “that is
not my
decision.” But
he heard about
the ouster and
eviction in
advance and
ok-ed it.

On
April 16, the
acting chief
of Gallach's
“Media
Accreditation
and Liaison
Unit Tal Mekel
oversaw the
eviction of
Inner City
Press' office,
leaving five
boxes of its
files out on
First Avenue.
Video
here.

Some in
Ban's team
indicated to
Inner City
Press its
office would
be left empty
until its four
month
“purgatory” or
punishment-for-reporting
period was
over.

That
was a lie: on
May 13, after
Inner City
Press asked
more questions
about Ban's
engagements
with John Ashe
and Francis
Lorenzo -
president of
South South
News which
paid UNCA and
still has a UN
office - Inner
City Press was
informed that
its long time
office is
being given
out.

When Inner
City Press
asked to see
the supposed
waiting list,
this was
refused by
Mekel. It is
apparently
entirely up to
Gallach - or
UNCA - who is
given UN
office space,
without which
one cannot
access the UN
Conference
Building's
second floor,
see below.

On
May 13 as the
UN Security
Council began
a meeting
about Lebanon,
the glass
doors to enter
the Council
were locked.
Apparenlty the
UN can't
afford one
guard for a
Security
Council
meeting, but
won't provide
information
requested by
the Press
about Ban
Ki-moon's
endless and
largely
fruitless
travel.

Inner City
Press, which
covers the UN
corruption
scandal and
was ousted
then evicted
by an official
implicated in
the scandal,
Cristina
Gallach -- see
OIOS
audit
Paragraphs 37
to 40 and
20(b) --
with Ban
Ki-moon's full
knowledge, was
unable to get
to the
Security
Council
stakeout. Its
pass, cut by
Gallach, won't
open the
turnstile at
the other end
of the
stakeout. This
week a guard
there even
refused to
allow Inner
City Press
through to a
stakeout with
a staffer of
the
Spokesperson's
office.

Gallach, at
least
according to
some paid to
tweet for the
UN, is in
Washington. So
Inner City
Press
undertook to
document the
restrictions
and
censorship.
Another UN
system
spokesperson
tried to
undermine it,
as did UN
Security. They
claimed
everything is
fine, even as
Security
Council
Ambassadors
asked them how
can it be that
the door is
locked (and
Press
excluded).
Some Security
write-up
began, sure to
omit all of
this. Watch
this site.